Knowing the Differences Between a Tourist and an Expat - Part 2 “My Katoy Loving Friend”

Continued from: Knowing the Differences Between a Tourist and an Expat - Part 1

I tried to explain to Dick that his girl on he game, but he’d have none of it. He just couldn’t comprehend why she wouldn’t take his calls. Even when he went to see her, he still had a difficult time believing she only wanted his money.

“She was really into me,” he whined. “You don’t know what you’re talking about. You weren’t there.”

He was right, I wasn’t there, and all I could do is hope he would learn from the experience.

With Dick out of the apartment and on his own, Charlie picked up the slack. He brought a couple of go-go dancers over unexpectedly and we had an impromptu party. Once again, Charlie got trashed. This time, he threw up, fortunately in the bathroom.

The next morning, over breakfast, I decided to have a chat with him about his drinking.

“Dude, you need to mellow out,” I said. “Your drinking is going to kill you! You don’t know this place very well, and you need to have your wits about you. Really!”

My comments fell on deaf ears.

Dick and I did lunch, then, we met up with Jay, a veteran visitor of the Thai scene. Jaye proudly bragged about his many trips to Thailand and declared himself a part-time resident of Thailand.

“I can’t even count how many times I’ve been here,” he said. “I’ve come every two or three months for the last five years, I’m now a part-time resident.”

Days later, I got a call from Jay. “Hey, what’s up with your pal Dick?”

“Huh? Whaddya mean?” I asked.

“I was in a taxi going to see one of my girls and was passing Central Chidlom when I saw this guy getting out of a taxi. He looked familiar and sure enough, it was Dick.”

“There was a chick with him,” he continued. “Actually, she was what originally caught my attention. From a distance, she looked great. But when I got closer, I realized, it wasn’t a woman, it was a katoy!!!” He laughed, “Did you know your buddy was into katoys???”

“Hell no,” I said, in a state of shock.

A person’s sexuality is their own business, but his affinity for ladyboys certainly came as a huge surprise to me.

A short time later, Dick, Charlie, and I decided to take a road trip. We all wanted a break from Bangkok, and instead of taking a taxi to Pattaya, one of my least favorite places in Thailand, we jetted down to Phuket.

While on the plane, Charlie informed me of a problem he had, “Check this out,” he said. He lifted his leg, lifting his pants from the ankle, revealing a swollen, purple mass; his leg was double its’ normal size. The blood vessels looked like huge snakes ready to burst out of his skin.

“You need to get that checked out right away man. I mean, like right when we land. That’s nasty.”

He nodded his head. Dick shook his head, in agreement.

After an uneventful landing, we headed to our hotel. After showering and cleaning up, we all met in the lobby. Charlie reluctantly took a taxi to the hospital. Dick and I went to watch the fake Muay Thai on Soi Bangla, soaking up the atmosphere while sipping away at our Singha beer, talking about Charlie.

“The dude is headed for trouble,” I said, as Dick listened intently. “He can’t drink so much and expect to live a normal life, and his leg is f#%$*ing horrible.”

Dick didn’t say much but we both knew the seriousness of the situation, despite our relative apathy. A short time later, Charlie came bouncing up, drunk as a skunk.

“They said I need to get back to Bangkok right away,” he laughed. “I’ve got Deep Vein Thrombosis. It happens to people who fly a lot and who don’t move around on the plane.”

“I know what it is Charlie,” I told him. “When are you leaving?”

“In the morning,” he answered.

The morning came and went, and Charlie, in the midst of another hangover, slept until well after noon. After banging on his door a few times, he finally woke and flew back to Bangkok. I had one of my women friends meet him at the airport and then take him to Bumrungrad hospital. I would find out from her later, Charlie was scared shitless.

The doctor prescribed medicine to thin his blood, and gave him compression stockings to help with the blood flow.

Dick and I did our thing in Phuket, but for the most part, I was alone. I did not say anything to Dick about his fondness for ladyboys, and frankly, I wasn’t sure I wanted to say broach the subject.

The next morning, the bellhop informed me Dick brought a katoy back to his room the previous evening.

At this point, I was no longer shocked. All I could do is shake my head.

When I got back to Bangkok, Charlie was laying in bed with a lovely young woman, leg stockings on, and a smile on his face. “I guess I’m going to have to fly home,” he stated. “I already spoke with Japan Air and they’re going to upgrade me to first class. I’ll be back so it’s no big deal.”

I was happy to hear he was thinking clearly. Or so I thought…

Later that evening, I took Charlie out for one last night out on the town. As was the norm, he got smashed. Somehow, I managed to roll him back to my place in one piece. The next day he would be on a plane, and my life would go back to its’ former level of normalcy. As an expat, my life was no longer like that of a tourist. It took my time with Charlie and my katoy-loving friend to realize this.

But the biggest surprises were still to come.

To be continued…. Continued from: Knowing the Differences Between a Tourist and an Expat - Part 1 Part 3 Comming Soon View All Articles By: Nick Gatsby

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